


The Long Night

by Somewhere_overthe_Reylo



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, Animal Death, Arson, Attempted Murder, Awkward Teenage Prince Ben Solo, Blood and Injury, Child Abandonment, Dead Parents, F/M, Feral Baby Rey, Hunters & Hunting, Implied Human Sacrifice, Implied Ritual Killing, Mention of Burning at the Stake, Winter Solstice, Yule
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:27:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,416
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28439112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Somewhere_overthe_Reylo/pseuds/Somewhere_overthe_Reylo
Summary: Young Prince Ben Solo meets a feisty girl on a hunt in the outer reaches of the kingdom. Ten years later, a dream pulls him back to Jakku to rescue her from a ritual to end The Long Night.
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 4
Kudos: 29
Collections: Reylo Readers & Writers - The Marvellous Moodboard Event





	The Long Night

**Author's Note:**

  * For [thewayofthetrashcompactor (BriarLily)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BriarLily/gifts).



> This is part of the Marvelous Moodboard Exchange for Reylo Readers & Writers Discord! I was obsessed with this moodie from the moment I saw it! I tried to make it a one shot, but ended up with nearly 2k words of back story and here we are. I've taken lots of liberties with the Winter Solstice/Yule traditions and medieval life. Also animal death and hunting are tagged for what I assume is the acquisition of meat consistent with the time period? If not, my apologies. 
> 
> Also this is unbeta'd so all mistakes, SPAG and otherwise, are my own. 
> 
> This will rate the E rating in the next chapter so the tags will update.

_He moves stealthily through the snow toward the orange glow ahead. Quiet as a wolf. Not that anyone would hear him approach over the chanting of the people gathered around the platform. Once he’s close enough he can see her being led up to the pyre. A mask of relaxed calm covers her face. It's wrong. All wrong._

_The crown of metal sunbursts in her auburn hair glows in the firelight and makes her look like a sun goddess. The gold filament in her gown sparkles, a beautiful effect against the horrific backdrop._

Does she not know what’s happening? _he thinks to himself._ No one would approach their own death in this manner with such a calm, especially _her_. 

_He remembered her as the fierce spitfire in the clearing, eight years old and full of life and_ fighting _to survive._

_He feels the bile rise up in his throat when he realizes he’s helpless. His feet mired in the snow in an icy grip he can't break. She willingly extends her wrists and allows herself to be tethered to the length of wood in the center of the platform by the hooded figure._

_Her unfocused eyes stare off in the distance while four hooded figures step out of the crowd and toward the pyre, their torches blazing. With perfect synchronicity, they lower their torches to the bundles of hay and brush carefully arranged around the platform. All four corners of the pyre are now engulfed in flame._

_Black plumes rise over her and she starts to cough and choke on the acrid smoke. Her eyes close tightly and her face distorts while she sputters and hacks._

_Her green eyes snap open and find him toward the back of the crowd. Whatever spell she was under, it's now broken. Panic washes over her face and she starts to struggle against the bindings holding her. He sees her lips form his name over and over while her eyes plead with him to do something, anything._

Ben wakes with a shout, tangled in his bedclothes. He struggles to free himself and manages to sit up, gasping for breath and heart racing. _Rey._ It’s been years since he thought of the girl from Jakku. There was a time when he thought of her often, but as he grew into manhood and fulfilled his duties as Prince of Chandrilla, he had little time to think of anything so frivolous as someone he met as a boy.

_~~~_

Ben was a boy of thirteen when he first visited Jakku. He was on a hunting trip with the head of his father’s Kingsguard in the farthest reaches of the kingdom, tracking a stag hoping to get his first kill with the longbow he received on his name day. 

They had dismounted and hobbled the horses near the river so they could track the animal on foot the last bit. The stag stopped in a clearing giving Ben a clean shot. Sir Charles motioned for Ben to take aim, giving his elbow a nudge higher, before nodding at Ben to take the shot.

He loosed the arrow and watched as it sailed barely inches over the back of the stag into the brush behind it. A shrill yip came from beyond where Ben’s arrow had landed, startling the animal. The stag leapt into the air as if to flee, but twisted, falling on its side in the tall grass. 

Ben sprang up from their hiding spot, only to have Sir Charles grab his wrist and reel him back in with his long reach. He shook his head, forbidding Ben to proceed. Sir Charles was tasked with teaching the young prince the basic skills of manhood like tracking, hunting, and weilding a sword, but the prince’s safety was paramount to anything else. 

The two watched the fallen beast for what seemed like an eternity before a small figure emerged from the brush and scurried over to the stag, a large blade in one hand and a rolled hide in the other. 

Sir Charles stood up out of the blind and called out, “In the name of King Han Solo, the first of his name and protector of the realm, who goes there?” 

The figure dropped the blade and rolled hide and ran off into the brush. Sir Charles took the bow from Prince Ben and stepped into the clearing, nocking an arrow and aiming into the tall grass.

“Be sure that my aim is truer than that of the young prince. Show yourself now and the King may show you mercy for poaching his son’s stag.”

“Bollocks!” a squeaky voice shouted from the grass. “I killed ‘em truly! You missed and hit me! Stag’s _my_ kill! _MINE!_ ” 

Ben stepped into the clearing, walking in front of the nocked arrow, much to the knight’s dismay. He held his hand up to Sir Charles, and the knight begrudgingly lowered the weapon at the Prince’s behest.

“The stag is yours. You did kill it fair and true,” Ben started, his voice cracking slightly. “You said my arrow hit you, are you hurt?” Ben was already showing he was of a kind heart and would one day prove to be a fair and just king like his father.

“Nah...just a scratch. See?” A head of auburn hair poked up from the brush. A _child’s_ head. A small finger pointed to a patch of blood soaking through the shoulder of the dirty and tattered tunic. Ben noticed three small buns tying back the auburn hair when they turned their head.

“Ah for fucks sake!” Sir Charles muttered under his breath. “Ya just a kid! A _girl_ child! You should go on home. It's not safe for a girl child to be out here alone!” His voice was commanding and strong.

“Ha! I can use a blade and aim truer with an arrow than you!” she snapped fiercely at Ben. “B’sides I gotta eat.”

Sir Charles looked at Ben and nodded, taking a step back and letting the bow and arrow fall to his side.

“My name is Ben. What’s your name?” Ben took a tentative step toward her, motioning for her to come closer. She stepped into the clearing in front of the prince and did a weak curtsey.

“I’m Rey. You’re the Prince? Prince Ben?” She stood up straight and looked him square in the eye.

Ben looked her over—her bloodstained tunic hung loose on her small frame, her leggings were threadbare at the knees, and her boots were poorly repaired with scraps of hide and jute. At thirteen he knew enough to see this girl wasn't well cared for. 

“Yes, I am Prince Ben. This is Sir Charles, head of the Kingsguard. Why are you hunting and not your father or brother?”

“Got no brother. My mum and dad left. They’ll be back but I’m down to the bottom of the grain barrel and the root cellar is near empty. Meat’s easier to come by. Don’t have to steal from no one.”

“How d’ya expect to get your kill back home, little one?” Sir Charles spoke up. The stag had at least a hundred pounds on the girl. “And what are ya doing with all the meat? Takes a lot of time and muscle to process it properly.”

“I take what I need and drag it home wrapped up in the skin. Leave the rest. Can’t take much, but I use everything I can haul.”

“How far is your house? We can help you carry it. Can’t we Sir Charles?” Ben asked.

“Of course, My Lord,” the knight replied. “I’ll fetch the horses.”

“Thank you, Sir Charles. I’ll stay here with Rey and her trophy.”

“Pfft...A trophy! It’s just meat to me.”

“How long have your parents been gone? You seem to be getting on without them,” Ben asked softly.

“They have been gone before, but never this long. They left in the spring. I know they will be back by winter. They’ve never left me alone in winter, so I know they’ll be back. I know it.” she replied confidently.

It was the middle of September, so that meant that the girl had been on her own for nearly half a year. Ben wondered why her parents left but never got the chance to ask. Sir Charles entered the clearing astride his horse and leading Ben’s.

“I’ll get this dressed for you once we get where we’re goin’.” Sir Charles set to work gutting the deer, leaving the entrails on the ground for the scavengers.

“Oh. Okay. Thank you.” Rey stammered, grateful for the help. “The cottage isn’t far. Maybe a league and a half or so. It’s outside the town proper. ”

Sir Charles arranged the stag on the hide and slung the carcass across his saddle. Ben led his horse so they were all on foot and Rey led them through the clearing and into the dark woods. When the trio broke through the tree line, they found a well trodden path leading to a small one room ramshackle cottage. White plumes of smoke wafted up from the chimney. 

“Fire’s nearly out!” Rey exclaimed before sprinting the rest of the way. She grabbed a few small logs from the woodpile and ran into the cottage. The hearth was fully ablaze by the time Ben and Sir Charles made it to the cabin. 

Sir Charles strung the stag up in a nearby tree and began butchering it for the girl.

“Please, take what you want. I won't be able to eat it all before it spoils.” Rey said, watching the knight trim the hindquarters of fat and sinew.

“Aye, thank you. We still have two days of travel and this will be a welcome change from the flatbread and hard cheese we been eatin’.” Sir Charles paused and wiped the blade on his tunic. “It’s nearly sundown and we should be goin’.” He glanced at Prince Ben, who just nodded and climbed off the stump he had been sitting on. 

“Stay and eat dinner with me... _please?_ ” She glanced between the two with an eager look on her face. 

“Of course! That would be lovely,” Ben smiled at her. Sir Charles grunted in dismay as he began cleaning up.

“We’ll make camp back in the clearing after we eat,” Sir Charles muttered, but Ben had already followed Rey back into the cottage.

Rey cooked some of the venison along with the last of the onions from her root cellar and they ate in silence at the rickety table. All three cleaned their plates and sat around the fire before the knight cleared his throat and stood up.

“Best be going and setting up camp. Thank you, Little One. My Lord, we need to be going.”

It was dark when they walked back up the path toward the clearing to set up camp. Sir Charles started a fire while Prince Ben rolled out his bedroll.

Soon the pair were sleeping soundly to the lulling sound of the crackling fire.

_It took a moment to recognize his surroundings, but he soon realized the table was the same one he had eaten at the night before. He was in Rey’s cottage. Smoke began to fill the air, thick and heavy. A cough startled him. He turned around and saw Rey crawl off her pallet in the corner and move along the floor toward the door. On her knees, she pushed with all her weight on the door, but it wouldn’t move. Somehow, Ben was outside now and could see that a log had been propped up against the door, trapping Rey in the burning cottage. Ben watched Rey as she coughed and gagged before falling still against the door._

Ben gasped when he woke from the dream. Sir Charles stirred in his sleep at the sound. Ben quickly saddled and unhobbled his horse and took off toward Rey’s cottage.

At the sound of hoofbeats, the knight leapt up and caught sight of Ben before he disappeared into the forest.

“ _Bloody fucking hell,”_ the knight muttered to himself as he saddled his horse and took off following the prince.

Ben smelled the acrid smoke before he saw the fire. He quickly dismounted and ran toward the door. The log was propping it closed just as it was in his dream. Ben heard shouts in the distance. 

Ben kicked at the log to dislodge it. After several tries, it gave, allowing Ben to open the door. Smoke poured out around him and Rey slumped across the threshold. He heard horses and turned to see that Sir Charles had come. 

Grabbing Rey under her arms, Ben pulled her across the yard, far away from the burning cottage. The sound of metal striking metal made Ben turn around. The knight was battling someone in a dark cloak who was no match for the head of the Kingsguard. Sir Charles soon had his rival on the ground, yet they would not yield. Once they had been disarmed of their sword, they pulled a dagger from their cloak and started swinging it. With no hesitation, Sir Charles drove his blade into the chest of his foe, killing him.

Ben turned back to Rey, her eyes now open and frightened. She clutched at him and not knowing what else to do, he pulled her close in what he hoped was a comforting hug. She started to sob into his tunic while he watched her world burn.

By the time the sun rose, some of the village folk had followed the smoke to the smoldering rubble that once was Rey’s home. They soon learned that the man Sir Charles had slain was named Unkar Plutt. He was one of the more unsavory members of the village, always involved when there were misdeeds and mayhem.

Sir Charles pulled one of the men aside and explained who he and Ben were and revealed that Rey had been living in the cottage on her own for months. The townsfolk thought Rey had left with her parents, and assumed her dead once word had reached them that marauders had killed them and left them on the roadside. The man assured the knight that they would bring the girl back to the village and raise her alongside his own children.

Once the fire had burned out, Rey said a tearful goodbye to Ben and Sir Charles. The knight advised the prince that the man swore upon his sword that the girl would be well cared for. With heavy hearts, Prince Ben and Sir Charles started their journey back to Chandrilla and Rey left with her new guardian to begin a new life.

~~~

Years had passed and Ben dreamt less and less of Rey and Jakku. Ben wondered from time to time how she was, what she was doing, if her parents ever returned. 

Ben stared into the low flames of his hearth. His mind worked around what the dream meant. He needed to go talk to Luke. 

He dressed quickly, buckling himself in his warmest overcoat and fur lined gloves and made his way to the library where he was sure to find Luke this time of day. A gust of wind blew powdery snow into his face, the flakes sticking to his mustache. He would need better garments for the heavy snow if he planned on making the trek to Jakku.

Luke was bent over a table, reading small print with his reading glass when Ben opened the door. 

“Ah, Ben. What brings you here on this fine day, Nephew? Certainly not my warm company,” Luke said with a sneer and turned back to his book.

“Uncle, what do you know of the Yule traditions of Jakku? Do they differ from the rest of the kingdom?” Ben asked bluntly.

“Always straight to the point. I’ve always appreciated that about you, Ben. Chatting in pleasantries is such a waste of time,” Luke set the reading glass down and turned to Ben, crossing his arms and leaning against the table. “Jakku, was to some, just a barbaric village before your grandfather united the realm and made them a part of the kingdom. They lived their lives worshipping the old gods. They thought that the gods must be appeased in order for the sun to rise and set everyday, seasons to change, crops to grow, hunts to be successful...you get the idea. The people of Jakku shunned all substantiation of the planetary rotations that cause the turn from day to night, the seasons to change, and the tides to rise and fall. 

“When Jakku became a part of the realm, the people had to renounce certain parts of their worship of the Old Gods to receive the privileges of being part of the kingdom. Certain acts that the King deemed uncivilized and barbaric were forbidden. To my knowledge, these days they hold the same celebration the rest of the kingdom abides by.”

Luke turned his back to Ben and picked up the reading glass and bent back over the texts laid out on the table before him.

“Sacrificial burning...was that one of the uncivilized and barbaric acts forbidden by the King?” Ben’s voice quivered slightly as he remembered with great clarity, the dream of the night before.

Luke straightened his back, still facing away from Ben. 

“Human sacrifice of any kind is forbidden by the king. Why do you ask?”

“I had a dream. A vision,” Ben started. “The last one was nigh on ten years ago. It’s the same girl, Rey of Jakku. I saw that she’s in danger. Last I dreamt of her, I was able to stop it...to save her from a fire I saw in a dream. Last night I dreamt of her walking toward a pyre wearing a crown of sunbursts. She was in a trance or under some kind of spell. The girl I know would never go willingly to burn.”

Luke turned back to face Ben. “The Long Night is what they called it, those that worship the Old Gods.” Luke’s face clouded and his tone became somber. “They believed that if a Sun Maiden was sacrificed by flame, the days would grow long with daylight, the air would warm, and the land would become conducive to sewing seeds and growing crops...essentially ending the Long Night.”

Ben swallowed thickly. Everything Luke spoke of corresponded to his dream. A plan started to form in his mind. It was a two day journey to Jakku in ideal conditions, and the Yule celebrations would be starting the day after next at nightfall. 

“Thank you, Uncle Luke.” Ben turned on his heel and walked out of the library, hearing Luke mutter something under his breath as he turned back to his texts.

Moving with purpose around the castle grounds, he first stopped at the stables and requested that his stallion, Supremacy, be ready for him before the noon hour. He stopped next in the kitchen to pack a bag of smoked meat and hard cheese, enough for a six day journey to ensure he had food enough for Rey. In his quarters, he donned his warmest doublet to wear under his armor, along with a heavy, hooded cloak of black wool. 

When Ben strode into the throne room, everyone fell silent as he approached his father and mother seated on the dais. He kneeled before them, and stood once King Han motioned for him to stand.

“Father. Mother.” Prince Ben started. “I am leaving Chandrilla and going to Jakku. There is a pressing matter I must address immediately.”

“Son, the Yule celebration is nearly upon us!” Queen Leia erupted. “You simply must be here!”

“What is so important that you just travel all the way to Jakku in this weather?” King Han spoke up.

Ben looked over at the line of his fathers Kingsguard, led by Sir Charles. The knight dipped his head in acknowledgment ever so slightly. 

“The girl from Jakku. The one I told you about long ago. She’s in danger.”

“How could you possibly know? There have been no travelers from Jakku here in weeks! No messengers, nothing! You simply cannot go!” Queen Leia gripped the sides of her chair and sat on the edge of her seat.

“I had a dream and Luke confirmed what I saw. I’m sorry mother, but I simply must go.”

The prince bowed once again, turned on his heel, and left the throne room in an uproar.


End file.
